Sermon thoughts and other musings

This is a tough passage for most modern Christians to grapple with. Who doesn't recoil when first reading Jesus' admonition: "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)?

There is a temptation to explain it away or ignore it. Indeed, the text is softened a bit when we understand that the word 'hate' really means 'disfavor', and 'cannot be my disciple' is not saying that Jesus will reject such a person, but really that such a person can-not (is unable to) be a disciple. In other words, Jesus is talking about a necessary reordering of our priorities; if we are not willing to put Jesus first - even ahead of familyand life itself - then we will be unable to be a true disciple of Jesus.

But even in Jesus' day, his admonitions didn't draw crowds - they drove people away. Large crowds followed Jesus (as this story also indicates), but by the time Jesus was crucified, his followers had dwindled to a handful. What drew the crowds? The healing stories give us a good indication. What drove them away? The hard demands of discipleship.

So it is with church today. Offer healing and the crowds will come. Demand discipleship and many will fall away. But the true rewards of following Christ come with the demands of faithful discipleship. "No pain, no gain" could be a motto of the Christian church as well. What demands must we, as a church, make of those who want to become disciples? Here are a few: consistent presence in worship. Regular participation in Bible study. Active participation in mission projects locally and contributing to causes that make the world a better place. Being a faithful member of the church community, caring and praying for others. Dedicated stewardship, leading toward tithing.

If we do these things, we will get the full benefit of being a part of Christ's Church - we will lead a transformed life. If we don't do these things, then it will be like joining a gym and then not going. That just doesn't work. The Christian life is something we have to work hard at regularly. Jesus didn't hide this fact from his followers. Neither should we.